SA23B-2351
Swarm and ESR observations of the ionospheric response to a field-aligned current system in the high-latitude midnight sector
Tuesday, 15 December 2015
Poster Hall (Moscone South)
Frederic Pitout1, Aurelie Marchaudon1, Pierre-Louis Blelly1, Xi Bai1, Francois Forme1, Stephan C Buchert2 and Dag A Lorentzen3, (1)IRAP, Toulouse, France, (2)IRF Swedish Institute of Space Physics Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden, (3)UNIS, Longyearbyen, Norway
Abstract:
We present a conjunction between the Swarm fleet and the EISCAT Svalbard Radar (ESR) on 9 January 2014. The Swarm orbit in the early phase of the mission gives us the unique opportunity of sequencing the temporal evolution of the observed field-aligned current system in the nightside, near magnetic local midnight. These field-aligned currents are seen to move poleward through the radar field of view and to affect the observed ionosphere. The upward FAC is responsible, at least in part, for the heating of the ionospheric electrons. It is less clear whether the downward FAC cools the ionosphere. We use the TRANSCAR model of the ionosphere to quantify the thermoelectric effect that comes into play. Finally, we compare the plasma parameters measured by the Langmuir probe on board Swarm and the ESR, and conclude on an agreement within the errors
